


Romantic Timelines From Alternative Perspectives

by adorations



Category: Community (TV)
Genre: Babies, Background Relationships, Canon Compliant, Coming Out, F/M, Greendale, Los Angeles, M/M, Marriage, POV Outsider, Post-Canon, pregnancy mention, trobaby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:28:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27022771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adorations/pseuds/adorations
Summary: Troy and Abed over the years, from the point of view of their friends.
Relationships: Britta Perry/Jeff Winger, Troy Barnes/Abed Nadir
Comments: 16
Kudos: 189





	Romantic Timelines From Alternative Perspectives

**Author's Note:**

> special shoutout to the server for helping me figure out some details in this one, and for just being so awesome.
> 
> comment and leave kudos if you enjoyed!

_Pierce_

No, Pierce is not jealous of Troy and Abed's little relationship. Because that would be gay. He is not jealous of the way they care about each other. He does not consider the fact that maybe really loving a person like they do would actually make his life better.

He hardly even cares when Troy moves out of his mansion.

_Annie_

They don't know how to use an iron and they're barely functioning when they go to the grocery store, but Annie really likes living with Troy and Abed because they know how to make an apartment a home.

Saturday mornings are for cartoons, right after class is for TV shows and just before bed is when they all watch movies together. Sometimes they sit separately, sometimes they drag the couch over and all sit together, and sometimes one of them will give her his recliner in favor of sitting on the other's lap. And it's not really weird, she thinks, because that's just how Troy and Abed are. It's how they'll always be, and she doesn't really think too hard about what that means.

Sometimes she finds them curled up together in the bottom of the blanket fort. It makes her smile.

Most of the time, she has no idea what's going on in the Dreamtorium. She's not sure she needs the details. But that's just Troy and Abed, always will be, and she's glad to be a part of their home.

_The Dean_

Troy and Abed's friendship was a special and magical part of Greendale, Craig really believed that. Like him and Jeffery. Craig knows what that's like, for two people to care so much about each other. And maybe for one of those people to care about the other in a completely different, unrequited way.

He's fairly certain that's what it is for him and Jeffery. And he can accept that now. Jeffery is his coworker, his friend, even, and really, that's enough.

He doesn't know if that's what it is for Troy and Abed. But Craig and Abed definitely have something in common, regardless of how Troy may or may not feel.

Craig thinks it's cute. Of course Abed can play his lava game.

_Hickey_

The kid is spoiled and entitled. Hickey knows that because he's watched him behave that way for years. But maybe this screenplay is a step in the right direction for him. If he can take Hickey's advice, then that's progress. Then there's hope for him yet.

"Why is this guy always hanging around Police Justice?" he asks one day while they're reviewing the script. "It's unrealistic."

"I disagree," says Abed.

"I'm telling you, nobody acts this way."

"Close friendship? Do you not have many friends?"

Hickey's blood boils. "That is not the point."

"Then what is the point?"

"Friends don't act like this, Abed, no matter how close they are. You should cut it from the movie."

Abed frowns. "Friends don't act like this."

"Exactly."

"Maybe you're right," Abed decides, "but I'm not cutting it. I just need to make the relationship evolve."

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about." He doesn't really care, either.

_Levar Burton_

Levar really wonders about this Abed guy. For Troy to talk about him this much, he must really be special. It's almost like Troy doesn't think about anyone else.

_Elroy_

Even after they chose to save the birds, Elroy was not expecting this level of devotion.

"I'm worried about Reggie," Abed says while watching over them.

"Reggie?" Elroy asks. "Why Reggie? I'm worried about Geneva." Ever since the first chick (nicknamed Inspector at Abed's request) had died, things were looking worse and worse for Geneva. Reggie was the only bird that had remained healthy.

"Because if the others die, then Reggie is all alone. And he has to fly away from here alone. Away from me. And you." Abed isn't looking him in the eye. "Which would almost be funny if it weren't so ironic."

"Why is that ironic?" Elroy's a little slow on the uptake. He's still figuring it all out, this group, their dynamic, Greendale in general.

Abed looks down at the ground. "My friend Troy used to be Reggie when we would play Inspector Spacetime."

"Is that the young man who runs the radio show?"

"No. That's Neil. He and I play DnD together."

"Oh."

"Troy is my friend who left on a trip," Abed said. "He's sailing around the world right now."

"Oh," says Elroy. "That sounds intense."

"Yeah." Abed bites his lip. Then he turns his head and Elroy can't see his face anymore, but he thinks he hears the smallest of sniffles.

Uh oh. Things got really bad when the first bird died. Elroy may not understand Abed and his friends yet, but he hates seeing the kid so upset.

"I'm sure he'll have a lot of stories for you when he gets back."

"I don't know if he's coming back anymore. Everything is different now. Darker. It's like my whole life got new lighting."

Elroy thinks about it for a second. "Sometimes, people need to go away for a little while. Like the birds, you know. They have to leave the nest. But Reggie's a sparrow. He may go away, but for the most part, he's going to stay in one general area. He may even come back to campus. You'll see him again." Elroy pauses. "I'm talking about the bird. I don't know your friend, I can only guess."

Abed gives him a small smile. "I think I can make it apply."

Alright. A win. Elroy was learning.

_Shirley_

Shirley's just so glad to see Troy in one piece and looking healthy that she almost forgets everything else.

Almost. But who would she be if she didn't check in on his personal life?

"So, Troy," she says while the others are distracted by one of Abed's movies in the other room. "You're staying here in LA?"

Troy's eyes widen and he fumbles with the drink he's pouring. "Um, yeah." His voice is about 3 times higher than usual. Shirley was heading in the right direction.

"Oh, that's nice," Shirley coos. "And I suppose now that you have Pierce's money, getting a place to stay wasn't too difficult."

"Well, um... something like that."

His eyes keep darting around the room. She's getting closer.

"I was surprised Abed didn't offer you a place to stay. You know, for old times' stake."

"Well, uh..." Now his gaze is fixed firmly on the floor. "He did, actually. He said I could stay here as long as I wanted."

"That's nice. He's such a nice boy."

"Yeah, he is." Troy smiled at the kitchen tiles. He glanced up at Shirley and then back down. "Shirley..."

"Troy?"

"Shirley."

"Honey."

"It's really good to be back," he says, beginning to ramble, "because while I was gone, I got to really figure things out about myself. And I got to realize what was important. And who was important. And because I figured that out, I guess I really did like, become a man or whatever. Which is why Pierce sent me on the trip to begin with."

"That's great, Pumpkin." She takes a small step forward. "I'm glad for you."

He's crying.

"Troy, honey," she says. "You can tell me."

"I love Abed," he says, finally looking up at her. "And he loves me and I've always loved him and I'm staying here because I'm living with him from now on because I'm not leaving him again. Because I love him. We're together now. And no one else in the group knows yet, just you. So please don't tell them yet, even if you're mad."

She hugs him as tightly as she would hug one of her sons. "Oh, Troy. Troy, that's nice."

"Nice?" he says, muffled inside the embrace. "I thought you'd be mad."

"No, honey," she tells him. "I'm not mad. I'm happy for you."

"I thought..." Troy fumbles. "I thought..."

"I know." She does. He's not the only one who's done some soul searching during his absence. "But if you break that boy's heart again, I will make you regret it, you hear me?"

Troy nods. "Yes, ma'am."

"And I'm gonna say the same thing to Abed, too."

She sighs. Anything to protect her boys.

_Gobi_

It's a little weird being reintroduced to Troy, because they've already met on several occasions. But everything is different now.

Abed's making them dinner, which leaves Gobi alone with Troy in the other room.

"Anyway, we're really glad you could make it, Mr. Nadir," Troy says.

"You thought I wouldn't come? Of course I would. Abed invited me."

"Yeah, I know," Troy says, unphased. "It's just really good to have you here."

"You don't have to call me Mr. Nadir," he mumbles. "It's very formal."

Troy brightens. "Okay, cool! You can... keep calling me Troy. Or something else, I guess, if you want. Some people used to call me T-Bone."

"Troy is fine for right now." He takes a sip of his drink. "Abed deserves someone who understands him. Who won't leave him."

Troy nodded. "I love Abed very much."

"That's not what I said."

"I know," Troy says. "But that's part of it."

Gobi can see into the kitchen from where he's sitting, and even though Abed has his back to him, he can see that his son is tense.

He doesn't know if Troy can see him or not, but he excuses himself anyways. "I'll be just a second."

Gobi sips his drink and watches Troy pull up beside Abed, put an arm around him, and rub the tension out of his shoulders. Troy says something he can't hear and it makes Abed smile. Troy threatens to put his finger into the food and Abed bats it away, laughing. Gobi watches his son relax. They kiss and he returns his gaze to his drink.

In his mind, there are images of a little boy who sleeps in Gobi's bed because it still smells like his mother. There's a friendless teenager sore from being shoved into a locker. There's a toddler who screams at the doctor and a growing boy that won't eat.

Gobi lifts the glass to his mouth and allows a smile. Someone was taking care of Abed. Someone who understood him. He doesn't have to worry.

_Chang_

Chang doesn't go to LA very often, so when he does see Troy and Abed, most of the time, it's when they're back visiting Greendale.

"Nice rings," he says during one visit, pointing at their fingers. "Are you trying to get extra Valentine's discounts downtown? That's what I've been doing."

"Um..."

They share a brief look.

"No," Abed says. "That's not what we're doing."

Annie, who's also visiting and hasn't been paying attention to their conversation until this moment, whips her head around. "Um...!" she exclaims for the larger group to hear. "Is that what I think it is?!"

Chang pumps his fists in the air. "I did something!"

_Britta_

Britta hates weddings because she hates the institution of marriage. She hates the institution of marriage because it forces antiquated gender roles down women's throats. It was sexist, when it came down to it.

Neither Troy nor Abed was a woman, though, so she's not quite sure where she stands on this one.

"Hey," she says, stumbling toward the grooms in question. "Hey, c'mere."

That's the other thing Britta hates about weddings. It's way too easy to get way too drunk way too fast, and she has a terrible habit of doing exactly that every time.

"Hello, Britta," Abed says, looking her over and analyzing what he sees.

"Hey," Troy said, tearing his gaze from Abed for what Britta thinks is the first time that night. "What's going on, Britta?"

"I just want to say that marriage sucks, but you two are gay."

Wait, that's not what she's trying to say.

Troy and Abed share a look. "Yeah, that's kind of the point."

"We used to date!" Britta manages, fighting a burp.

Troy tenses. "Yeah, we did."

"No, I mean, hear me out. Troy, you and I used to date and I'm _so glad_ you guys are married now." Damn it, now Britta was getting kind of choked up, which was definitely contradictory to her stance on marriage. "Because you love each other so much and it's been so long and you never stopped and that's _amazing._ How do you do that?"

Abed shrugs. "I've never considered anything else."

"Awww...!" Britta coos, and then she loses her balance a little bit. "That's so cute, it's disgusting. Troy..." She launches herself forward to hug him. "Troy, Troy. You're my big boy. So happy for you."

"Thanks, Britta." His arms tighten around her and when she pulls away, his eyes are watering. "That means a lot."

"And Abed!" She turns to him and hugs him too. "You were so little when I met you. Pencils in Spanish class. And now look at you. Big boys. So proud."

"Thank you, Britta," he says. "You know, I'm proud of you, too."

Now she's really about to cry, and luckily Jeff appears over her shoulder right at that moment.

"Woah!" he says. "Someone's drunk."

"Yeah, _you_." She high-fives herself.

"Good guess!" says Jeff. "No, Britta, it's you."

"Psssaw." She waves him off. "Yeah, right."

"Yeah. Right. I'm thinking it's about time we get you home."

"What!? No! I haven't even danced yet."

"You've been dancing all night," Abed points out.

"C'mon, Jeffery. One dance. You and me," Britta insists.

To her great surprise and delight, Jeff gives in. "Fine. One dance. But not to this song. Simple Minds, Abed? Really?"

"The Breakfast Club," Abed says firmly with a pointed finger.

"It's perfect and I won't have this slander at my own wedding," says Troy. "There should be some Backstreet Boys coming up."

"Oh, great, that's much better." Jeff pretends to grimace. "One Backstreet Boys dance. Then we leave."

Britta smiles.

_Frankie_

Every time Frankie thinks she finally knows the ins and outs of how her Greendale friends (Friends? Associates? No, friends) operate, they throw her another curveball.

"So this... Dreamatorium."

Abed and Troy (who, as it turns out, does not play the steel drums) stare back her, unblinking. "Yes?"

"It takes up an entire room in your home?"

"Yes."

"And it's permanent? It never goes away?"

"That's correct."

"And it's used for... make believe."

"To render imagined Dreamscapes. Some simplify it by calling it make believe."

"And this is essential to your lives and your home?"

"Yes!" Troy exclaimed breaking his silence. "Of course it is! Where else are we going to simulate things?"

Frankie blinks. "You and Abed are meant to be together."

Troy preens. "Yeah. I know."

_Jeff_

Everyone came to visit them when the baby arrived, but a few months later, Jeff visits again.

Jeff's already awake on their couch when in the middle of the night Abed shuffles into the nursery to soothe the crying baby. He hears him in the nursery, the hallway, the kitchen. Eventually, he appears in the doorway, looking surprised to see Jeff.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry," he says. "I'll go back to the nursery."

"No, it's okay," Jeff insists. "I was already up. You know, before he started crying."

"Kinda late to be awake," Abed says, rocking the baby and walking the perimeter of the room.

"Tell that to your baby."

Despite the tired look in his eye, Abed chuckles. He does a few more slow laps around the room.

"Do you want me to do anything?" Jeff offers.

Abed cocks his head at him. "You can hold him if you want."

Jeff doesn't answer, but he sits up taller and waits with open arms. When Abed places the baby in his arms, he fusses for a moment.

"Keep him close to you," Abed instructs. "He likes that. Also if you want to you can recite Inspector Spacetime episode titles. He likes that, too."

"I don't know any Inspector Spacetime episodes."

"Jeff, keep that to yourself. It's embarrassing." Abed sits in the chair next to the couch and watches them. He looks tired, Jeff notices, but there's a hint of a smile on his face. Jeff rocks the baby and holds him closer.

"Thanks for helping," Abed says seriously, whispering at a low volume. "Troy always insists on getting up even when it's my turn. In fact, he'll probably be out here in a little bit. Which is not good because he needs his sleep and if it goes on for much longer I'll have to put my foot down. But since you're helping now, maybe he'll stay in bed." Abed nods curtly. "So, thank you."

"Britta's pregnant," Jeff says suddenly.

Abed blinks. "She is?"

"Yes."

"It's yours." It isn't a question.

Jeff responds anyways. "Yeah."

"Hm." Abed shifts. "I thought she might be."

"God, Abed, do you know everything?"

"No, I'm just observant. My baby is very awesome and very cute, but we weren't expecting you back at this time and we certainly weren't expecting you to offer as much help as you have been."

"Ouch."

"Congratulations," Abed says after a moment. "I'm glad for you two. I was surprised you weren't endgame while we were on the air. I always thought you were a good couple. I even made you canon in my happy place spin-off, so it's nice to see you guys have worked things out post canon."

"Right." At some point, Jeff just had to learn to go with it. "We're not exactly a couple."

"Right, because you're Jeff and Britta. Not very traditional. But you're something."

"Yeah," Jeff says. "We're something. It's nice, actually."

"Babies are exciting."

"Babies are scary," Jeff says, but the one he's holding is warm and kind and loving. "I don't know how to handle them. I don't know how great I'll be. I mean, it's not like I have any great experiences with my Dad-of-the-year."

"So you came here," Abed deduced. "That's interesting. Troy and I are the model family you go to."

He says the last part more to himself than to Jeff. Jeff shrugs.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"How's Britta handling it?"

"Fine. Good, really. We've known for a little while, actually. It's just real now." Jeff takes a deep breath. "She knows I'm here, if that's what you're wondering. She probably knows why, too."

Abed nods and furrows his eyebrows, looking Jeff over. "Right now my son is asleep in your arms, so I think you're already better at this than you realize."

Jeff glances down at the baby and feels the corners of his mouth twitch.

"You know, he scowls the same way you do," Jeff says. "He's got your eyebrows, too. But when he smiles he looks just like Troy."

"Technically not genetically possible either way." Abed pauses. "I noticed Troy's smile, too."

"Kinda cheesy," says Jeff.

"Bit of a cliche," Abed agrees, but he smiles.

Jeff hums and the baby's nose twitches. "We're having a girl," he tells him. "We just found out."

"Mini-Britta," Abed comments, and Jeff laughs.

"God help me if that's true," says Jeff. "I'll be outnumbered." He sighs. "I know you said I know more than I think, but I have no idea what I'm doing. I don't know what to expect."

Abed is silent a moment. He pulls his feet up onto the chair. "You know Troy and I are trying to adopt a little girl."

"No, I didn't know that."

"We haven't told anyone yet in case it doesn't work out. She's a little bit older. 6."

"Oh," says Jeff. "A specific little girl."

"Yes," Abed says. "Aliyah. And I don't really know what I'm doing either."

"Well, you had me fooled."

"I've got an incredible partner and some really good friends," Abed says. "And so do you."

"Yeah," Jeff says quietly.

"And we can always ship you hand-me-downs and stuff like that," Abed offers. "We're not all-organic, though, which I imagine Britta will object to."

Jeff fights a laugh. "Yeah, you're probably right."

Just then, Troy stumbles into the room, stifling a yawn and making the baby stir. Abed points knowingly.

"Hi," Troy whispers. He perches on the arm of Abed's chair.

"I told you to go back to sleep," Abed says.

"I know," says Troy, waving a hand. "Just making sure everything's okay."

"We're okay," Abed supplies. "He's waking up, though."

"Oh." Troy looks at Jeff. "Did you try Inspector Spacetime titles yet?"

Jeff shakes his head and Abed gives a pointed look. "Not yet."

"Okay," Troy says sleepily. He rests his head on Abed's shoulder and closes his eyes. "Try that, and if that doesn't work try race car sounds. And if that doesn't work let me know, I can do it."

"It's not your turn," Abed says.

"You work so hard." Troy pouts and hides his face in Abed's shoulder. Jeff feels a little bad for watching them and returns his gaze to the baby, who was blinking slowly, but surely.

Jeff sighs. They were good parents. And Jeff will take credit for that if anyone asks, thank you very much. They met in his study group, after all.

_Troy_

Before he sailed the world, Troy was never really a morning person.

Now that he's back, the mornings are one of his favorite parts of the day.

When he was on the boat, he used to imagine what it would be like to have Abed so close to him in the early morning, when everything was still hazy and soft.

In real life, it's better, which is the amazing thing about Abed. He makes reality better than the wildest fantasy Troy could think of — even the boring parts.

"Good morning," he murmurs when he can't help himself anymore.

Abed has an arm loosely draped across his waist, and when he wakes, he flexes the arm and then tightens his grip. Troy loves when he does that.

"Is it?" Abed's voice is still hoarse from sleep.

"Yeah," Troy says. "It is. It's a good day. I can feel it."

"Okay," Abed agrees, eyes fluttering closed again. "It's a good day."

Troy moves in closer and sighs, satisfied. Any day with Abed was a good day, especially when he had experienced far too many without him.

_Abed_

It occurs to Abed that he's living off script.

He'd ran all the simulations, both specific and vague, wish-fulfilling and painfully realistic, and still, none of them ended like this.

He wasn't supposed to be married. He wasn't supposed to live like this, this freely, this safely, this connected.

But he tries not to question it. If somehow he ended up in the Brightest Timeline, he doesn't want to mess it up.

It hits him at weird times, too. Their son is getting old enough to pay attention to the TV for at least a short amount of time, so they gather on the couch for movie nights and the baby (who's really closer to a toddler now and when did _that_ happen?) sits on his lap and babbles and Troy curls up next to him and puts a hand on his lower back and rubs his thumb there and there's a ring on his finger and they're sitting in the house they own and suddenly there's a lump in Abed's throat. This is his family. His.

And no, it's not what he simulated, but he's never been so happy to be wrong.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks! if you liked it, please leave a comment/kudos!


End file.
